Tag: NCL

Norwegian Sky casino. The environment was great, but the table rules and electronic blackjack rules were awful. A free casino cruise, however, makes it a much better proposition.

There is, of course, no such thing as a free lunch. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t some exceptionally good deals out there. Last year I cruised on the Norwegian Sky. I did not particularly enjoy my time in their casino. My perception changed when Norwegian sent me an offer for a free casino cruise. Your experience will certainly be different based on your situation. However, I thought it might be useful to let you know precisely what my offer was.

One of the beaches at Great Stirrup Cay, NCL’s private island in the Bahamas.

One of the things I like about cruises is a beach day. Every time I cruise, I take at least one day where I sit on the beach, swim a little, and just relax. On my cruise to Cuba last month, I got to do that at Great Stirrup Cay (GSC). GSC (link provides video of the island) is Norwegian Cruise Line‘s (NCL) private island in the Bahamas, and it is amazing. While it doesn’t offer the relaxed vibe of a place like Maya Chan, it still presents plenty of great options. The opportunities range from the relaxing to the (middle-aged fat man version of) high adventure. In this Great Stirrup Cay review, I walk you through the flaws of GSC, what there is to do, what there is to eat, and what bar service is like. Continue reading “Great Stirrup Cay review”→

Ribeye with garlic butter at Cagney’s Steakhouse on the Norwegian Sky. Also pictured are the roasted mushrooms and orzo pilaf I requested as sides.

When I cruise, I normally eat in the main dining room (MDR). I have written extensively about the MDR menu on my cruise on the Liberty of the Seas last year. When I cruised on the Norwegian Sky earlier this month, however, the dinner offerings didn’t stand out to me. I booked a specialty dining package, and on the first night I went to Le Bistro. On the sea day of my cruise, I went to Cagney’s Steakhouse. The service was a little bit rushed, and nothing really stood out to me. It was a solid meal, but I think Chops Grille on Royal Caribbean does a little bit better work. Let me show you my meal so you can decide for yourself. Continue reading “Cagney’s Steakhouse on the Norwegian Sky”→

Norwegian Sky casino. The environment was great, but the table rules and electronic blackjack rules were awful.

There must be something about casinos at sea. Perhaps because they have no competition, they don’t have to offer particularly good odds. I wrote last year that I did not enjoy the service or the rules in the casino on the Liberty of the Seas. The Norwegian Sky casino was a nice space with much friendlier staff, but the table rules and electronic blackjack rules may have been even less friendly toward the gambler Continue reading “Norwegian Sky casino”→

Le Bistro specialty restaurant on the Norwegian Sky. I wasn’t impressed with the complimentary dining options on NCL, but my meal at Le Bistro was superb.

When I cruised on the Norwegian Sky in July 2018, one of the things I worried about was the quality of the complimentary dining options. I already posted about the buffet on Youtube, and I will write posts soon about breakfast and lunch in the main dining room. The complementary options were fine, but they weren’t great. Dining is a key part of the my cruise experience, so I booked a specialty dining package. On the first night, I went to Le Bistro. Le Bistro is the French specialty restaurant on most NCL ships. My meal was superb, and it was definitely worth the upcharge. Continue reading “Le Bistro specialty restaurant on Norwegian Sky”→